Parent Hacks

links for 2008-10-31

Interactive pumpkin screen saver "I wrote my own interactive pumpkin app which not only makes a great Jack-o-Lantern out of our screens, it also reacts to clicks so our kids can play with it on our touch screen. My kids are having a blast and my wife suggested I make...

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Still no costume? Pay your kid to wear last year's!

Brook is one practical woman. When my daughter was in Kindergarten I made her an elaborate, time-intensive, and expensive Sailor Moon costume. Facing the prospect of sewing or shelling out for another costume, I offered to pay her $10 if she wore the same costume the next year. In second...

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Amazon Friday sale: Robeez, nonslip liner, Aerobed, Annie Chun's noodles, digital cameras and frames, and too much kitchen and dining stuff to list

It's the Amazon Friday sale ! And it's packed this week. And, lo! Robeez ! And with cute snowmen! In pink or blue! These were indispensable when my kids were babies. The price is right: $14.89 (almost half off). We've published plenty of hacks involving nonslip shelf liner. The stuff...

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Do your "Black Friday" holiday shopping online (and sleep in)

Craig passed along a potentially money-saving tip for the hardcore holiday shoppers among you: I would like to remind folks that many, if not all stores, now start their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving Thursday. And according to the Consumerist, some Black Friday prices are actually starting at Halloween this...

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Hollow out the Jack-o'-lantern pumpkin with an ice cream scoop

Pumpkin carving is fun, sure. But does anyone really enjoy the initial step -- scooping out the seeds and gooey bits? I just stumbled upon the perfect tool for the job: an ice cream scoop. I use this OXO Good Grips Points scoop, and the squared-off corners made short work...

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Hollow out the Jack-o'-lantern pumpkin with an ice cream scoop

Pumpkin carving is fun, sure. But does anyone really enjoy the initial step -- scooping out the seeds and gooey bits? I just stumbled upon the perfect tool for the job: an ice cream scoop. I use this OXO Good Grips Points scoop, and the squared-off corners made short work...

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links for 2008-10-30

Unclutterer » Ikea hack for toy storage There are never enough IKEA hacks. Or toy storage solutions. Email: Transform This Tool from Stressful to Useful | Simple Mom Smart and simple. What I aspire to be.

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links for 2008-10-30

Unclutterer » Ikea hack for toy storage There are never enough IKEA hacks. Or toy storage solutions. Email: Transform This Tool from Stressful to Useful | Simple Mom Smart and simple. What I aspire to be.

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Consider keeping the Halloween costume packed away till October 31

I just read the Being Savvy post It's Halloween tomorrow! Or, Tired of Halloween Yet? and it got me to thinking: isn't it sad that many of us are Halloweened-out, and it's not even Halloween yet? (Don't even get me started on Christmas -- I'm already seeing fake trees dotting...

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Consider keeping the Halloween costume packed away till October 31

When Halloween turns into a week-long extravaganza, October 31 loses some of its luster. Consider pulling it back into a single, magical evening and see how it feels.

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Hide presents inside your luggage

And I thought I was the only one who leaves my suitcase on the bedroom floor for weeks after a trip. Tracy's hack makes such laziness worthwhile! Right? Last year, my kids reached an age where I could no longer go shopping for gifts and just leave the bags in...

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links for 2008-10-29

lee's things: Pumpkin carving for easy candle access So smart! So simple! Last-minute Halloween costume: Fairy Magic Last year's Christmas dress + fairy wings = adorable quick costume for a toddler princess. The Cool Mom Picks Safer Toy Guide Spend your holiday dollars on fewer toys, but choose ones that...

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Toy catalogs make for good kid distraction

Remember the Sears catalog? Anyone? Anyone? I recall afternoons spent poring over the toy section and dreaming. Jennifer encourages her kids to do the same with the deluge of holiday mail-order catalogs: Now that the holidays are coming up, we've been getting TONS of catalogs in the mail. Especially toy...

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Simplify shopping with kids by taking pix for the "wish list"

My standard response to my kids' pleas of "Can we buy this?" is: "Put it on your wish list!" Michelle's simple hack takes it a step farther: Shopping with kids is never an easy task. The kids are always begging for this or that. To quiet this I let them...

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Digital clock "cure" for kids who can't fall asleep

I love Karen's gentle hack for encouraging little ones to stay in bed: Both my kids were prone to coming out of their rooms at night as toddlers, saying "I can't sleep." A trick that worked well for us was that I would tell them to go back to bed...

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